South Bank Centre, London

Grouped along the south bank of the Thames, on either side of Waterloo Bridge, are the buildings of London's most important arts complex - the South Bank Centre. Built between 1951 and 1976 it fulfilllled a long cherished wish of the London City Council to redevelop and revitalize this once rather rundown area of the city. At the center of the complex is the Royal Festival Hall, which was built between 1951 and 1965 and can seat 3,097.
South Bank Centre Map
Its acoustics are first class, providing ideal conditions for both orchestral and choral performances. The Hall also incorporates the Voice Box and Saison Poetry Library. Alongside it are two smaller concert halls - the Queen Elizabeth Hall (seating 902) and the Purcell Room (seating 368), which were opened in 1967. These three world-renowned performance venues offer music to suit every taste, alongside a broad selection of performing arts. Top London and international orchestras and acclaimed ensembles all perform here, plus companies leading the field in opera, contemporary music, dance and mime. There is also jazz, pop, folk, cabaret and comedy as well as an ever-changing program of free exhibitions and foyer music events. The complex also includes the Hayward Gallery of modern art. Some visitors may find the bare concrete structures of these buildings rather cold and bleak, but from a functional viewpoint they are excellently adapted to their purpose, while the riverside terraces make for pleasant strolls.

Related Attractions

Royal National Theatre

The Royal National Theater comprises three separate theaters that are styled with concrete on the interior.

Royal Festival Hall

At the center of the South Bank Center is the Royal Festival Hall, which was built between 1951 and 1965 and can seat 3,097. Its acoustics are first class, providing ideal conditions for both orchestral and choral performances. The Hall also incorporates the Voice Box and Saison Poetry Library. Alongside it are two smaller concert halls - the Queen Elizabeth Hall (seating 902) and the Purcell Room (seating 368), which opened in 1967.

Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery, part of the South Bank Center arts complex, is built in a style which aptly reflects its role as a gallery of modern art. Opened in 1968, the gallery is laid out on two levels, with intricate lighting installations to enable the pictures and objects to be seen at their best; the design of the interior, with rooms of widely varying size and height, also helps to achieve this objective. The layout can be varied by the use of movable partitions, and three open courts provide effective display areas for sculpture. The gallery is mainly used as an extension of the Tate Gallery to display its modern art collection and also presents various national and international exhibitions. The development of the South Bank as a center of the arts, which was initiated by the old London County Council, has given this area an important place in the artistic life of the capital. Here, in addition to the Hayward Gallery, are the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, the National Film Theatre, with two cinemas, the Royal National Theatre, with three separate auditoriums, and the new Museum of the Moving Image.
South Bank Centre Pictures
Map of London Attractions
More London Attractions